One Week
by Delena Whisper
Summary: What if Galadriel sees something in her mirror she cannot prevent?


AN: This is my first story about LotR. Please reveiw, and all flames are welcome. Also,anything you recognizeis not mine, they are the Creator J.R.R. Tolkein's.

I was afraid to approach the mirror today for some weird reason, and the reason was right. I saw things in the mirror no mother or grandmother should ever see, of orcs attacking my own flesh and blood, and since I had no knowledge of where or when, just the blasted vision of my poor daughter being attacked by those vicious offshoot of elves, I could do nothing to stop it. Nothing at all. I just sat there long into the night, hoping and praying that Elbereth would grace me with another vision, a longer vision in which there was some more detail, a landmark or even a date.

Finally Celeborn came and collected me and dragged me off to the talan to sleep. He is worried for me; I can see it in his eyes. But I just change into nightclothes and lay down on the bed, falling asleep to dream about Celebrian and what I knew could become of her.

The next morning, I awoke with the dawn, and after pulling on a dress, I raced back to my mirror, searching the bottom of the basin for any clue of my daughter's fate. I just saw the same clip over and over again, mixed in with Arwen mourning and the twins riding into battle. I saw mortals' lives waxing and waning; I saw people dying, but never a glimpse of my baby. By the time I came to my senses, it was night and Celeborn was standing at the entrance to the grotto, waiting for me to return to myself. He simply reached out his hand to me, and when I had taken it, led me back to the talan to fitful slumber.

The third day, I managed to sleep in with no one waking me up. It was nearly time for dinner, and I had not looked into the basin even once yet. I literally ran to the grotto after dressing so quickly I had forgotten shoes, and leaning over the basin, I saw the same image as ever, as a sword was stabbed into my darling baby girl's thigh, and how she was cut across her chest, leaving crimson to stain her brown riding outfit. All I saw were Celebrian's eyes going wide as the filthy orc stabbed her. I desperately tried to hold on to the image, but Elbereth would have none of that and swept me away to view the Last Alliance between Men and Elves yet again. I saw my first cousin once removed, Gil-galad, with his mighty spear dying yet again. That was another death I could not stop.

Celeborn came to collect me at supper time, and he forced me to sit down and eat with him. I could only sit there and pick at the food, thinking about how my baby could die, and she would, for how can she survive that much blood loss? It simply was not possible. After dinner, Celeborn came up to me and asked me what was wrong. I replied that nothing was wrong. It would do no good for him to worry too, for this was our only surviving child, with Amroth drowned in the sea. That was another soul that I would never meet again.

I think some drug was put into the wine for I fell asleep soon after that and did not wake until supper the next day. Celeborn insisted that I would not return to my grotto that evening, and dragged me along to a dance that had been planned for months. It was supposed to be a joyous event, but all I could think about was Celebrian and her face as she was stabbed. I danced one dance as was expected of me, but other than that, I did not leave my chair.

Celeborn was very worried about me; I could tell because he told no one to wake me the next morning. He also had a maid watching me, so she went off to notify him that I was awake. He came sweeping a little while later, after I was done dressing for the day, and dragged me off to a council about the upcoming Mid-summer's Day festivities. Dealing with a day of people arguing over what color the table linens and flowers should be was very tiresome, and took up the whole day. I did not have a chance to go to my grotto and look into the watery mirror.

On the sixth morning, I made sure to awake early before Celeborn had a chance to wake. In the silvery light of predawn, I crept to my grotto, and hurriedly poured fresh water into the basin. When I looked into its depths, I saw the moment when I first had the chance to look and hold my daughter. It was soon after she was born, but after she had been cleaned up. I remembered that it was a hard and difficult labor, and there was a chance that the child would not have survived. I remembered being so worried throughout the whole thing that this child that I had carried for so long and had learned to love would die, just like my son Amroth would later on. Oh, I saw his death before he was even born, but I did not recognize the figure. I saw Celebrian as she was falling in love with Elrond, the fights they had had when she realized she was pregnant. Apparently the twins were not planned, but since both had wished that they would have a child at the same time, it happened. I saw her giving birth to Arwen, and realizing what exactly her mother name should be. I was then swept off to view Celebrian rocking Arwen to sleep, and how one of the now grown-up twins dancing with her and Celebrian was laughing as he told her a joke. I then saw the flash of swords as she was attacked by the orcs. As I broke out of the visions, Celeborn was there waiting for me, and led me back to the talans, scolding me all the while.

On the seventh day, I woke up even earlier than I did the day before, and did not even get dressed. I ran to my grotto in my nightdress, and knelt down before the basin, pleading with Elbereth to finally let me see the whole vision she had been taunting me with. I saw glimpses of my life before arriving on the shores of Middle Earth before I was swept into another. I saw my daughter arguing with her husband to let her travel to Lothlorien for the Midsummer's Day festival, and him finally agreeing to it. I saw her preparing to travel, and leaving Rivendell. Not even five hours out, a band of orcs attacked. My daughter was stabbed and slashed, and a maid pulled my daughter onto her own horse, and took off towards Rivendell. I then saw my daughter on a pallet on a grey ship that Cirdan's people had made, covered with the coverlet that she had used in her childhood. She would be safe beyond the sea, free of death and pain. Then the vision stopped, and I realized one horrible thing: this took place a week ago according to the time that she had left Rivendell.

I literally ran back to our talan, clad only in my nightgown and hair, hoping that if enough speed was used, I could see my daughter once again. I rushed up the stairs, taking them two at a time, to stop at the top of the stairs. A messenger from Rivendell was there and one look at my husband's face told me that this was true; it was not a lie from the enemy to distract me. I composed myself and walked to my room. Dressing in a riding habit, I prepared a pack and ordered my wardens to prepare for a long ride to the Grey Havens. Remembering my last vision, I ran back up to the talan, into the childhood room of Celebrian, and grabbed the blanket from off the bed. I then rushed down, and hopping on the horse that was waiting for me, I went to see my baby girl for one last time before I too made the trip across the Sea.


End file.
